


The Historical Background of the TV series VIKINGS

by adunoeth



Category: Vikings (TV)
Genre: Gen, Historical, WIP
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-07
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-21 23:45:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10685355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adunoeth/pseuds/adunoeth
Summary: Okay, so this was supposed to be a draft only, but apparently I posted it without meaning to and I'm not going to delete it again... which means this is going to be very much a work in progress.This is a compilation of facts about historical events, historical figures, the meaning of names and everthing else I could think of that anchors the TV Show Vikings in reality.





	1. I. Places - 1. Kattegat

**Author's Note:**

> So this has probably been done before, but I had an itch. Also, I've never actually watched the show, only read some fanfics. But since this is about the _historical_ background anyway, I figured it would be ok.

There is no town, village or other area of land that I can find that is called **Kattegat**.

There is, however, a sea are between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea with that name. It is south of the sea area Skagerrak, with Denmark to the west and south and Sweden to the east. It is a quite shallow sea which can be dangerous to navigate due to the many reefs and currents.  
The name is actually not as old as the show would make it seem and developed instead during the late Middle Ages. It derives from the Dutch words kat (cat) and gat (hole, gate) and implies that it is a hole so narrow that a cat would have difficulties queezing through. In earlier times Kattegat and Skagerrak were referred to as the Norwegian Sea or Jutland Sea (possibly _Jótlandshaf_ ). The Ancient Latin name was Sinus Codanus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sources:   
>  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kattegat


	2. 2. Lindisfarne and the Kingdom of Northumbria

**Lindisfarne** really exists. It is a tidal island, called the Holy Island of Lindisfarne or just the Holy Island, located in the northeast of modern-day England, part of the county of Northumberland. The monastery of Lindisfarne was founded by the Irish monk Saint Aidan before the end of 651 AD. There was a documented Viking raid on it in 793 AD, probably on 8 June. At this point in time the Bishop of Lindisfarne, and therefore head of the monastery, was Higbald, also called Hygebald. He survived the raid and went on as bishop until his death in either 802 or 803 AD.

At this point in time the island was part of the **Kingdom of Northumbria** , ruled by King Æthelred I. It was an Anglian kingdom, making the subjects Angles. Its capital was York and the people spoke Old English, also called Anglo-Saxon, and Cumbric. The monks of Lindisfarne would have known Latin.

 **Æthelred** was King of Northumbria from 774 AD to 779 AD, when he was deposed, and then again from 790 AD until his murder in 796 AD. He was born circa in 762 AD as the son of Æthelwald Moll and Æthelthryth.  
The name Æthelred is a variant of Æðelræd. Both of these are Anglo-Saxon names derived from the Anglo-Saxon elements æðel, meaning 'noble', and ræd, meaning 'counsel'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sources:  
>   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindisfarne  
>   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishop_of_Durham  
>   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higbald_of_Lindisfarne  
>   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Northumbria  
>   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_monarchs_of_Northumbria  
>   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%86thelred_I_of_Northumbria  
>   http://www.behindthename.com/


	3. II. Characters - 1. Ragnar Lothbrok and his family

The name of **Ragnar Lothbrok** has been modernized. The original Old Norse one is _Ragnarr Loðbrók_ , with the epithet Loðbrók meaning Shaggy-Breeches. The name Ragnarr is made up of the Old Norse elements regin, meaning 'advice', 'decision', 'might' or 'power' (of the gods), and herr, meaning 'army'. The Anglo-Saxon form of his name is Rægenhere and it has been Latinized as Raganarius, Reginarius, Ragenarius, Raginerus, Ragnerus and Reginherus.  
Ragnar Lothbrok is a figure that has been mentioned in old Scandinavian legends as a Viking leader who lived during the 9th century. However, historians are unclear whether or not he is an actual historical figure. He is said to have been married three times. At first to the shieldmaiden Lagertha, then to the noblewoman Thóra and finally to Aslaug. He is named father of the historical Viking figures Ivar the Boneless, Björn Ironside, Hvitserk, Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye and Ubba.

The name **Lagertha** is a younger form of the name Lathgertha, which is a Latinized form of the Old Norse name _Hlaðgerðr_. The name Hlaðgerðr is composed of two parts. The first is either hlað, meaning 'lace-work' or 'headdress', or hlaða, meaning 'to weave'. The second part is garðr, meaning 'enclosure' or 'protection'.

The name **Bjorn** exist in two forms in modern day Scandinavia. As Björn in Sweden, Iceland and Finland and as Bjørn in Norway, Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. Both of them are younger forms of the Old Norse name _Bjǫrn_ or _Biǫrn_. The Old Norse word bjǫrn or biǫrn means 'bear' and was also used as a byname.  
The historical Bjorn Ironside, a legendary king of Sweden, lived sometime in the 9th century and is said to have been the son of Ragnar Lothbrok and Aslaug. His brothers supposedly were Hvitserk, Ivar the Boneless, Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye and a few half-brothers.

As with the others, **Gyda** 's name has been modernized. It is a younger form of the Old Norse name _Gyða_ , which is a short or pet form of either Gyríðr, Guðríðr or Guðrún. Gyríðr and Guðríðr are both variants of Guðfríðr, which is composed of the Old Norse elements guð, meaning 'god', 'gods' or 'divine being', and fríðr, meaning 'beautiful', 'good', 'alive', 'peaceful', 'safe' or originally 'beloved'. Guðrún is made up of the Old Norse elements guð, which is the same as before, and rún, meaning 'secret' or 'secret lore'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sources:  
>   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragnar_Lodbrok  
>   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragnar  
>   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagertha  
>   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bj%C3%B6rn_Ironside  
>   https://www.nordicnames.de/  
>   http://www.behindthename.com/


End file.
